


Absolutely in Love

by haveyouseenmymind



Series: The Tapestry of Love [2]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Idiots in Love, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Requited Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-26
Updated: 2018-08-26
Packaged: 2019-07-02 14:18:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,641
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15798276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haveyouseenmymind/pseuds/haveyouseenmymind
Summary: When Bones hauls his drunken ass back home, Jim spills his secret. How will Bones react?





	Absolutely in Love

**Author's Note:**

> I actually didn't want to write a sequel, cause for me it was important that Jim doesn't get a conclusion.  
> But when your brain slaps you over the head with an idea and demands you to drop everything, well, what choice do you have, but to follow orders? It’s still a bit heartbreaking and bittersweet, so I’m not too mad about it. ;)

The night does not end exactly as Jim has planned for it. Well, it partly does. The pining and getting hammered? That is totally what he originally had been aiming for. But the rest is completely out of his control. **  
**

Bones finding and joining him with his own beer in his booth, while Jim is busy moping about being stupidly in love with said man, is one of those things that just happen without him being asked.

Not that he’s complaining. It’s definitely nice having someone help you hauling your drunken ass back home, even though Bones is cursing and griping all way long. But Jim takes it with a smile, concentrates on how close he is to his friend.

And if he sags a bit more into himself, making himself heavier, so that the arm around his waist grips him a bit tighter and drags him closer to the warm body next to him, well, who is going to condemn him?

He’s just an idiot in love after all.

And so they stumble through the dark, swaying more to the sides than walking a straight line, thanks to Jim hanging onto his friend for his life, till they make it back to their room. When they are finally through the door, Bones drags him the last few meters to his bed and drops him face first onto it.

Jim of course turns around, to give the brunet a piece of his mind about how you’re not supposed to haul poor drunk people around as if they are a sack of potatoes, but his words get stuck in his throat as soon as he looks at Bones.

The soft and carefree smile has returned to his face, and Jim gets reminded again of his awful situation. That he’s in love with his best friend, who of course doesn’t return his feelings. That this is all he ever gets.

Dammit, nothing seems to sober a man up faster than his heart breaking apart, cause there it is again, that all consuming pain, threatening to eat him up alive.

“Bones!”

Jim starts sobbing, slowly loses control over himself. Fuck, this is why he hates love, has never wanted to fall into it, cause it leaves him without a way back to his own sanity. And he hates how he gets Bones all worried, sees it in his friend’s eyes who stare anxiously at him.

“Jim, what’s wrong?”

His voice is soft, but Jim can hear the fear shining through it, and he’s not quite sure what Bones is afraid of? But then he remembers, yeah, he’s spread out on his bed, hot tears running down his face, while he’s struggling to calm his hitching breath.

No wonder Bones is looking at him with concern, like he’s trying to figure out how to calm a frightened animal. And if that isn’t a fitting image? **  
**

It’s truly hilarious, makes Jim laugh up suddenly and nearly choke on his own spit. God, this is love. Is this really love? Cause honestly, there’s tears and snot and spit, and all in all it’s nothing but disgusting.

Jim is disgusting.

But thankfully Bones doesn’t seem to mind that, as he’s slowly sitting down next to Jim, shifting closer to him till his hand reaches out to touch his cheek with gentle fingertips. When he realizes, that Jim doesn’t flinch away, his touch grows bolder, till his hand rests on the blond’s cheek, while his thumb is slowly stroking the still flowing tears away.

“Jim, please tell me what is wrong. Let me help you.”

God, his voice is utterly soothing, setting him on fire and he doesn’t know how to deal with this. It’s too much. There’s too much love, spilling over from his battered heart, spreading through his veins, flowing out of his eyes and threatening to tumble out of his mouth in broken words.

But he doesn’t know how to say this, doesn’t know how to wrap it up in words that would never be enough to describe what this man in front of him, who’s caring so much, means to him. In the end his mind still hasn’t the power to shut his mouth up.

“It hurts.”

Bones looks alarmed, ready to bolt and grab his medkit. Jim knows that look, has seen it directed at him so many times before.

“Where? Jim, tell me, where does it hurt?”

He’s pleading at him, and Jim feels immediately bad about making his friend worry about him and his stupid feelings. Unsure of what to say, he simply grabs the hand that’s still holding his cheek and leads it down to his chest, to rest directly over his heart.

Bones starts to frown, and Jim is sure that he has no idea what he’s trying to hint at.

“Jim… I don’t understand?”

The frown is accompanied by confusion, his eyes wander away from his own hand to Jim’s face as he seems to try finding the answer in the blond’s face. But he shouldn’t expect any help from Jim, who has no idea what he’s doing and is completely lost.

He’s out of his depth, but after a few seconds his brain finally decides to take over and do something. Though honestly, Jim has no idea if reaching up to Bones, sliding his hand to the back of his neck and dragging him down really is the best way to deal with the situation. **  
**

But still, it’s too late now.

Bones lets out a startled yelp, right before his lips meet Jim’s, and for a few dreadful moments nothing happens. Panic wells up in Jim - shit, he ruined everything, this is why he hates love, why did he - but then, Bones reacts and his lips softly start moving against his own.

Jim is in heaven.

Why didn’t he do that earlier? Why did he waste so much time?

God, his heart beats frantically, overjoyed with happiness while his mind just stumbles over _yesyesrightyesplease_  again and again. This is perfect, he loves being in love. At least until Bones breaks away from him, leans back up after a few minutes and stares down at Jim clearly shocked.

Jim is confused and tries to reach out to Bones, to get close to him again, but the man just grabs his arms and holds him in his place. His face suddenly loses all emotions, shifts to an unsettling neutral expression.

“Jim, you’re drunk. You don’t know what you’re doing.”

“Am not.”

“Jim.”

“I love you.”

And suddenly, all emotions are back, and Bones looks like he’s in pain, as if his heart is breaking into the same pieces Jim’s has done so many times before. Finally, Jim understands. He’s not the only one. Bones is the same as him.

“Jim, please don’t do this.”

But of course this is exactly what Jim’s doing, cause he needs Bones to understand. There’s no taking back, the words are out, and now that there’s hope that his feelings are returned, he repeats them over and over again.

Repeats them as he leans up and takes Bones face in his hand. Repeats them as he peppers gently kiss after kiss all over his face, and one last against his lips. And Bones just lets him, but after that last kiss he sighs and pushes Jim gently away.

“Fuck, Jim. You can’t do anything the easy way. Christ, what am I going to do with you?” **  
**

Jim has a few ideas about that, but they are not important as Bones. Who’s looking at him now with a mixture of happiness and exasperation. However, Jim still can feel the wariness radiating of him. He still doesn’t fully believe that he’s completely honest and not out of his mind.

“Bones! I mean it. You need to believe me.”

Dammit, he’s whining, but in the end he doesn’t really care. Not as long as Bones will finally believe him. The brunet scrubs a hand over his face and through his hair, and Jim is happy to see him contemplating the situation.

“Fine, you idiot. We’ll sleep over this, and if you still won’t change your mind in the morning, I’ll believe you completely.”

Jim starts grinning, cause this is so much better and more than he ever hoped for.

“Ok, but I won’t change my mind.”

Bones scoffs an affectionate “Infant” at him, before he stands up and leaves for the bathroom. Jim of course takes this opportunity to strip out of his clothes, except for his shirt and boxers, before he slips under the covers of Bones’ bed.

His friend returns after a few minutes, and seems not amused that Jim has changed beds in the meantime.

“Jim! Get out and into your own bed. You promised to wait till tomorrow.”

But Jim doesn’t want to sleep in his own bed. He’s too afraid to wake up and find out that everything had been just a dream. He needs to feel Bones close to him tonight.

“Bones, please. I promise, nothing more than sleeping.”

The brunet grumbles, but lets Jim do as he pleases. But before Jim is able to enjoy his triumph, Bones hurls a wet washcloth right into his face.

“Get cleaned up kid, you’ve still got snot on your face.”

Jim begrudgingly does as he’s told and throws the washcloth away.

Finally Bones, who has stripped down to his own shirt and boxers meanwhile, joins him under the covers. He’s shifting closer to Jim, but avoids their bodies touching. Jim’s not completely happy about that, but if Bones needs that for tonight he’s willing to let him have it. He still reaches out, lays his hand in the middle between them, his open palm upwards, in hope that Bones will understand.

And Bones does understand, as he grabs Jim’s hand and intertwines their fingers.


End file.
